How To Make Your Manicure Last Longer: 7 Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Mani

As someone who weighs the worthiness of a beauty treatment based on its longevity, salon manicures are at times, hard to justify.

Depending on how you treat your nails, a non-gel manicure could chip within a matter of days or seconds if you’re accident-prone. Pending life in a protective bubble, the reality is, everyday activities have the potential to damage your nails and your typical manicure will last you a week if you’re lucky.

At the end of the day, polish isn’t meant to last forever and that’s probably for the best. However, you can save a good chunk of change and time by knowing how to maximize the life of your manicure with these tips and tricks.

1. Apply isopropyl alcohol

Your nail technician will typically do this before they start painting your nails and if they don’t, you need to reconsider how knowledgeable they are. This important step will clean off any dirt or oil that will prevent polish from adhering to your nails.

You can also use white vinegar and nail polish remover as an alternative to isopropyl alcohol.

2. Cuticle care

This is an important step for ensuring your manicure lasts as long as possible. Make sure to push back and remove cuticles before you start the painting process.

When you’re satisfied with your work, use a Q-tip or a brush to remove any excess polish you accidentally got on your skin.

3. Buff your nails

If you run your fingers over your nails, you’ll notice little ridges on the surface of your nails. Some of us have more prominent ridges than others and it’s these culprits that cause polish to crack.

The trick to a longer-lasting application is buffing your nails until you have a smooth surface to work with. For best results, buff in one direction rather than haphazardly all over.

4. Use the same brand of products

If you want your products to perform to their highest potential, keep it in the family. Brands test their products together so if you use a base coat from one brand and a polish from a different brand, they may not jive as well.

When it comes to gel and shellac manicures, the same rule applies. The curing lamp should be the same brand as the polish for maximum results.

5. Topcoat is your best friend

If you exclusively get your nails done at a salon, you may not think it necessary to purchase a bottle of topcoat. Wrong!

Applying a thin layer of topcoat everyday will prolong the life your manicure by keeping your nails strong and protected. A daily dose of a nail treatment like Nail Tek Intensive Therapy will also do wonders for keeping your manicure alive.

6. Cap nail tips

Nail technicians are pretty good at capping the most damage-prone part of your nail but it’s a step that’s often forgotten when DIY’ing. Since we’re always texting or tapping away on keyboards, it’s the tip of the nail that needs the most protection and care.

You can protect the tip by applying a horizontal swipe of polish over the edge.

Good thing glitter is in because using glitter polish will in and of itself last longer than regular polish. It tends to have a better grip on your nails but in turn tends to be harder to remove. Here's some tips on how to get that glitter polish off easily.

"Soak your nails in a small dish for about two to three minutes in warm water (not hot), to soften your cuticles."

"Dry off your hands and gently start to push back your cuticles. Tip: try to avoid trimming your cuticles as it can cause hangnails. If you find you have several hangnails, use cuticle scissors to clean them up."
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"Ensure your nails are dry before you start to file and shape. If you find that your nail is slightly discoloured (an off-white or yellow nail), use a nail buffer to brighten and smooth [them out]. File your nails to a length and shape that best fits your style. Tip: spring 2012 trends show short nails or longer nails with round tips (a claw-like effect) are popular."

"Always apply a base coat to prevent nail discolouration and to help maintain your manicure. You only need to apply one coat."
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"Next, pick any colour from your polish collection and always apply two coats (this will bring out the true colour of your polish).
Tip: if you have polish on your skin after your apply your two coats of colour, use a Q-tip dipped in a small amount of polish remover to clean them up before you apply your top coat."

"Last and most important is the top coat (one coat is enough) for a shiny, flawless finish (let your nail colour sit for a few minutes before applying the top coat to avoided smudging)."

"Let your nails dry for about 30 minutes."

"Finish off your manicure by hydrating your cuticles and hands." This will prevent drying that can happen as a result of using alcohol-based products.